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Artswork came into being in the late 1980s as part of an ambitious initiative by the then southern television station TVS.

Eleven education authorities across the south of England took part in the early projects, which were splendidly funded by BT and administered from a special unit within TVS. Each authority appointed a county co-ordinator to oversee the county based arts programmes. The Essex development, with Jeff Merrifield as co-ordinator, took the form of a series of specific arts projects in various local areas of Essex, which were then brought together in large-scale youth arts festivals, where a variety of art forms were mixed and matched and the keyword was participation. Projects ranged from a commissioned jazz adaptation of the 1812 Overture to a large scale exhibition of artwork and poetry inspired by the wide variety of doors to be found in and around Harwich. The main feature of most of these Essex initiatives was the way they brought professional arts practitioners into working relationships with young people.

The BT funding of these eleven authority projects lasted for some five years and these were great years for youth arts. However, all good things come to an end sometime and when BT moved off to fund other initiatives instead, Artswork struggled to find an equivalent funder. Despite some courageous efforts, Artswork never did attract so abundant a funding source and gradually became more associated with Southern Arts. This naturally excluded Essex, which was the only Eastern region authority that formed part of the original consortium.

It was then that Artswork Essex was born under the umbrella of Essex County Council Arts Development. With much more limited funding, arts projects of a more modest order were undertaken, but with the same enthusiasm of the larger projects from the early days. Over the next decade Artswork Essex has either initiated and/or developed the following projects:

  • The Brentwood Youth Arts Spectacular
  • VideoVan Film Projects
  • An international postcard art wall project
  • Essex Arts Awards
  • Duke Ellington Centenary Concert
  • Chelmsford National Jazz Summer School
  • Keep it live - Essex County Battle of the Bands

Artswork Essex has worked in partnership with:

  • Essex County Council Youth Service
  • District and Borough Councils of Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester , Epping, Harlow, Rochford, Southend, Thurrock and Uttlesford
  • The Brentwood Youth Arts Partnership
  • First Light - the UK Film Council's Young Filmmakers Project
  • The Eastern Orchestral Board
  • Brentwood Theatre, Palace Theatre, Thameside Theatre, Towngate Theatre

In 2005 Artswork Essex became an independent, non-profit-making limited company gained charitable status. Jeff Merrifield continues to spearhead the organisation, supported by a committe of trustees and with Dame Helen Mirren as patron. The major project of Artswork Essex continues to be the Essex Arts Awards.

Click her to go to Essex Arts Awards site

Click here to go back to Artswork Essex Home page